Firearm Safety
Definition: A firearm injury is a gunshot wound or penetrating injury from a weapon that uses a powder charge to fire a projectile. It can be unintentional (accidental firing without intention), intentionally self-inflicted (suicide), interpersonal violence (homicide or assault), legal intervention (injury inflicted by the police or other law enforcement agents acting in the line of duty), or undetermined intent (injury where there is insufficient information to determine intent type).
Magnitude of the Problem
Between 2022 and 2024, an average of approximately 4,300 children and adolescents ages <1 to 19, died each year from firearm-related injuries.1 Among firearm-related injury deaths, homicide accounts for the highest rate. According to the 2022-2024 CDC WISQARS1:
- Firearm homicide death rate was 3.4 per 100,000 among children and adolescents
- Firearm suicide death rate was 1.5 per 100,000 among children and adolescents
- Unintentional firearm death rate was 0.2 per 100,000 children and adolescents
- Undetermined firearm death rate was 0.1 per 100,000 children and adolescents
- Firearm death rate due to legal intervention was <0.1 per 100,000 children and adolescents
Disparities are noted across types of firearm deaths. Black children and adolescents experienced firearm homicide deaths at a rate approximately 19.5 times higher than that of their White counterparts (15.6 versus 0.8 per 100,000). Among adolescents aged 10–19, American Indian/Alaska native adolescents had the highest rate of firearm-related suicide deaths (7.1 per 100,000), followed by White (3.5 per 100,000) and Black adolescents (3.4 per 100,000).
Prevention
- Reducing firearm-related injuries require comprehensive prevention strategies. Best practices include2:
- Safe storage: Firearms should be locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked separately, and out of reach of children.
- Lethal means reduction: Remove firearms from the home if the child or adolescent is experiencing a mental health problem or life crisis.
- Clinician screening: Increase firearm safety screening among caregivers of children and adolescents for the presence of a firearm in the home and educate them around firearm safety.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) fatal injury reports, 2022–2024. Accessed April 1, 2026. https://wisqars.cdc.gov.
2. Lee, LK. Firearm injury prevention: AAP updates guidance with multiple ways to reduce risk. American Academy of Pediatrics. Published October 8, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2026. https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/22375/Firearm-injury-prevention-AAP-updates-guidance?autologincheck=redirected.
